Combating Wildlife Trafficking (15.679)
Combating Wildlife Trafficking (Assistance Listing 15.679) is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $11.7 million in 38 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $307,357 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $132,109. Half of the 38 awards fell between $68,872 and $505,273, and they ranged from $26,460 to $1.1 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$11.7 million
- Grant awards38
- Typical award$132,109
- Awarded in FY 2025-$9,119
- Size rank1,452 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants (discretionary)
Key findings
- It is the 1452nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 95% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 8 states and territories.
What the program funds
The objective of the fund is to provide for the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants including endangered species and threatened species, and to support capacity for CITES implementation.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Non-domestic (outside of the United States) government agencies responsible for combating wildlife trafficking and any other U.S.- based or non-domestic public or private non-governmental organization or institution or individual with demonstrated experience in the activities proposed.
What the money can and cannot pay for
No new funding for this program is expected. Assistance Listing will remain active to allow Bureau to close all currently open awards and report any associated amendments to government-wide systems that require the identification of an active number as a key reporting element. Funds may not be used to provide material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel. Program will fund projects that link directly to the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Implementation Plan (https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/nationalstrategywildlifetrafficking.pdf). Funds will not be used for projects that support the government of a country determined by the U.S. Department of State in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons report as 1) not fully meeting the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), 22 U.S.C. § 7101 et seq., and 2) not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with such standards (countries classified as Tier 3), unless exempted from restrictions based on a waiver issued in accordance with the TVPA.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
$50,000-$400,000 per year for a period of performance of two to five years. The average award is $180,000 per year.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: The Combating Wildlife Trafficking program continued?funding?on-going projects through the Species Conservation Catalyst Fund (SCCF) initiative. The aim of the fund is to strengthen the capacity for long-term conservation of species threatened by the illegal trade.Fiscal Year2026: No new projects were funded in FY26.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Combating Wildlife Trafficking (15.679) awarded $11.7 million across 38 grant awards, an average of $307,357 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University | Colorado | 2 | $1.1 million |
| Wildlife Conservation Society | New York | 4 | $1.1 million |
| Fauna & Flora International | 2 | $1.1 million | |
| Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora | 1 | $1.1 million | |
| International Fund for Animal Welfare Inc | Massachusetts | 2 | $1.0 million |
| The Zoological Society of London | 1 | $991,470 | |
| Cheetah Conservation Fund | Virginia | 1 | $637,610 |
| African Wildlife Foundation | District of Columbia | 1 | $589,411 |
| Traffic International | 2 | $522,954 | |
| Monitor Conservation Research Society | 1 | $509,595 | |
| University of Oxford | 1 | $506,358 | |
| Sustainable Innovation Initiatives, Inc. | Florida | 1 | $502,016 |
| Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor) | 1 | $336,715 | |
| Saiga Conservation Alliance | 1 | $244,178 | |
| The Consultancy Group Inc | 1 | $233,142 | |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | Virginia | 1 | $141,759 |
| Save Vietnam's Wildlife | 1 | $136,126 | |
| Birdlife International | 1 | $134,786 | |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Colorado | 1 | $129,432 |
| Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos, A.C. | 1 | $106,734 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 70% of the money, colleges and universities 11%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 18 | $8.2 million | 70% |
| Other | 17 | $2.3 million | 19% |
| Colleges and universities | 3 | $1.2 million | 11% |
By state
3 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are Colorado, New York and Massachusetts.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 3 | $1.2 million |
| New York | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $1.0 million |
| Virginia | 2 | $776,121 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $589,411 |
| Florida | 1 | $502,016 |
| Washington | 1 | $65,180 |
| New Jersey | 1 | $37,070 |